The Twinkies

It’s a dreadful photo. It’s not even a good snapshot. I had to use flash. But LOOK! Both babies are in the same frame and HUGGING!

J threw his yogurt on the floor. And his applesauce. And bananas. And sweet potato. And apple. And corn puffs.

I did laundry and cleaned out the guest room, disassembling and reassembling my loom because I have been informed that the guest room is too crowded. The loom doesn’t fit through the door without being collapsed whence the disassembling. I fetched a sippy cup from Papaya Patch’s lost and found. I bought a cinnamon roll at the farmer’s market. It was dry.

I got an email from the school to which we want to send the kids and, although they have been on the wait list since they were 6 months old, the director of admissions doesn’t think they’ll ever get into the toddler room. She assured me that there shouldn’t be a problem getting them into the preschool when they are three.

My “night off” for the week was spent getting two cavities filled.

After that my aching mouth and I went to Anthropologie because a gift card was burning a hole in my pocket. The only thing I could afford was a book called “What a Woman Should Know About Style” and since I’m guessing step 1 is not going out in public with mashed banana wiped on your pants I am out of luck.

I didn’t buy it.

I sat in the car and sobbed.

I drove home.

Monday was good, but Tuesday, for whatever reason, was just a really hard day.

Do you know how hard it is to find toys that aren’t made in China? Even Melissa and Doug is made in China. Papaya Patch, the local natural kids store, has toys not made in China but I draw the line at a $95 mermaid doll that F will discard in 5 seconds.

My mother has tracked down a series of web sites (and I’ve supplemented it) selling high quality toys made in either Europe or the US so you can have at least a little more confidence that the workers weren’t children chained to the factory machines and that the paint isn’t loaded with lead.

• Everyday School Materials
• Willow Tree Toys
• A Toy Garden (coupon code: STB1007, is good for 10% off, until the end of 2007)
• Nova Natural ($5 off first order through 12/21 with code COOLMOM)
• Rosie Hippos
• Magic Cabin (10% off, code MIKEFAB exp 12/31/07)
• Oompa Toys (10% off $25+, code 2007FALL) (15% off through 10/26 using code 2007PRIVATE)
• Bella Luna Toys (Use customer code MOTHER10 for 10% off your purchase!)

Specific safe toy recommendations from Cool Mom Picks…

Sara’s Toy Box is a another good site about creative play with more discount codes (including Oompa, Palumba and Three Sisters) and information about good toys. She seems to be pretty on top of getting good discount codes from toy companies so is worth bookmarking if you are a frequent toy shopper.

Enjoy the lead free toys list from a woman more thorough than I am. She notes: I recommend these toys because their stores say they are organic, natural, and non-toxic (ummm, under .06 lead).

If you have more site recommendations or more coupon codes let me know.

B is a huge Shakespeare fan. He’s actually read Two Gentlemen of Verona. Because I am a total freak I am planning on making bedtime Shakespeare story books with a synopsis of plot and some of the most beautiful lines for him to read to the kids.

Me: So…which of Shakespeare’s plays do you think are the most appropriate for kids?

B: Comedy of Errors. Oh, and The Tempest, but not the rape stuff.